But when the Soviet Union collapsed, heralding an end to the cold war, Greenland was relegated in importance. The US presence in Greenland went from more than 10,000 personnel on 50 bases to a single settlement at Pituffik space base (formerly Thule air base) with about 150-200 people.

President Donald Trump warned NATO that the U.S. needs Greenland for national security, saying that Russia or China would take it otherwise.

As the Earth warms, new shipping routes from one side of the globe to the other are opening around Greenland, making the vast island a strategic priority for superpowers.

The Daily Show host mocked Trump for claiming that the U.S. needs to annex Greenland so Russia doesn't become a neighbor.

President Donald Trump is not the first U.S. government official interested in Greenland. The first major attempt to control the island was in 1868.

Trump's comments come after Greenland’s Prime Minister said they would "choose Denmark" over the United States.

A remark by senior Russian security official Dmitry Medvedev has put Greenland back in global focus. It has added strain to an already tense Arctic debate. He suggested Greenland’s residents could vote to join Russia.

Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected calls by Denmark and Greenland for the Trump administration to drop its talk of taking over Greenland during a high-profile meeting

The foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland are visiting Washington today for talks with State Secretary Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance. The meeting follows nearly two weeks of escalating threats from President Trump about annexing Greenland, even if it requires using the U.S. military.